Chicago Bears Can Afford to Play Waiting Game with Matt Forte
Published by Kendrick Marshall on January 19, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
If Matt Forte wants to hold out of training camp before the start of the 2012 season, the Chicago Bears brass should not be concerned.
Forte, who missed the final month of the regular season with an ACL injury, has demanded the Bears give him a lucrative contract extension that other upper-echelon running backs have received the last few years.
The Bears, who now have an opening at general manager with the recent firing of Jerry Angelo, are expected to place the franchise tag on Forte before committing to a long-term contract to the displeasure of the young running back.
“A lot of teams franchise guys so that they can get a deal done or negotiate a deal,” Forte told ESPN Radio 1000, who was reportedly offered upwards of $14 million in guarantees by the Bears during the regular season. “It just depends on what the motive of that is.”
“I wouldn’t say holdout, but people probably wouldn’t know where I was,” said Forte.
Forte was indeed productive for the Bears last season, leading the team with 1,400 yards from scrimmage and recording 52 receptions, which also led the offense.
In all, Forte was 46.2 percent of the Bears offense in 2011. However, should the Bears yield to the demands of a player who has scored just 21 touchdowns in four seasons, and nine over the last two?
The Bears have to ask themselves if Forte is an elite rusher. I say no because he doesn’t get in the end zone enough compared to some of the high-salary guys he wants to be.
A running back’s value is not found in how many yards he gains, but how many scoring opportunities he sets up and how many touchdowns he tallies. Forte, while averaging more than 4.2 yards per rush in his career, doesn’t provide points.
Some might argue that the Bears have had deficiencies on the offensive line, at the wide receiver position and at quarterback since Forte’s rookie season. But how can one explain less productive backs in similar positions scoring more touchdowns than Forte?
Maurice Jones-Drew scored eight touchdowns, and led the league in rushing on a Jacksonville Jaguars offense featuring a rookie quarterback who completed half his passes and finished the year with a quarterback rating of 65.4.
There are many running backs who are not as heralded and scored more touchdowns than Forte.
Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch had 12 touchdowns; Michael Bush of the Oakland Raiders scored seven touchdowns; Mark Ingram, who gained 474 yards for the New Orleans Saints, scored five touchdowns; and BenJarvis-Green Ellis, playing in the pass-happy New England Patriots offense, found pay dirt 11 times.
The Philadelphia Eagles‘ shifty, dual-threat rusher LeSean McCoy led the NFL with 17 rushing touchdowns under a coach in Andy Reid who historically favors airing it out rather than going the route of ground-and-pound.
Even though Adrian Peterson is the only real offensive weapon on the Minnesota Vikings roster, he still bruised his way for 12 touchdowns before tearing his MCL and ACL.
Forte, the guy who amasses all these yards from scrimmage and in the eyes of the press the second-most important player on the Bears offense next to quarterback Jay Cutler, should be given a raise in a season in which he only scored three touchdowns on the ground after scoring eight his rookie season?
You might be thinking I should give Forte a pass, considering he couldn’t complete the season due to the knee injury.
Wrong.
It took 203 rushing attempting for Forte score his three touchdowns. His backup, Marion Barber, scored six touchdowns on 114 carries.
The bottom line is that running backs, even the great ones, are easily replaceable in the NFL.
A team doesn’t need a highly paid running back to win a championship or be competitive for a number of seasons. Can anyone name the starting running backs for the last four Super Bowl champions?
Time is up.
James Starks, Pierre Thomas, Willie Parker and Ahmad Bradshaw.
Forte doesn’t have the leverage he thinks he does. So, it would be wise if he played under the terms of the dreaded franchise tag.
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